I Can’t Talk About It
A child’s book about sexual abuse
Sanford
1986
I hate to say it, but I think we do need to talk about it….
Our good friend Doris wrote another book for your consideration. Just like the previous titles, this one is also a candidate for “most awful book”. I am sure anything I say now will be redundant of all the other books we have featured here on this site. In general, I am not a fan of the “read this and solve your problems” picture book. I believe it trivializes the horrors of abuse. In what universe is anyone’s problem solved in under 300 words?
Mary
It’s gotten so bad I don’t even look at the pastelpuke once I see from the cover art who it is.
While the Satanic childrens book is by far my favorite(Drugs comes second), Doris Sanford never fails to disappoint in her ability to write children’s books that are terrifying for all ages.
P.S. I am not offering suggestions as to what would be appropriate in the background and I shudder to think of what the other pages look like, but the peaceful beach scenery somehow manages to be eerie and forboding.
Why is the dad always the villain?
I don’t think it’s a book that is supposed to solve the problem of sexual abuse in 300 words. I think it’s a book for a child who has been keeping this secret, who thinks he or she is the only one, who thinks there is no option and no hope. And maybe, after seeing a book like this, realizes he or she isn’t the only one, and might tell someone.
Why’s it always “daddy” Sybil still on the shelves?
Because only men rape people, of course. (sarcasm)
What’s the connection between seascape illustrations and sexual abuse? Reminds me of the fall leaves theme in Sanford’s drug book.
I KNEW who wrote this the second I saw that cover. All the art in her books looks the same. Doris Sanford is to Awful Library Books what Ted McGinley was to Jump The Shark. Except poor old Ted McGinley’s not a bad actor, but Doris Sanford is a dreadful writer. Those pages really are ghastly. (I can’t be the only person who thinks that a child telling her mother she’s being abused may not actually stop the situation, as mother may be in on it, or may not care.)
This one is even worse than the other WORST ones. She jumps out of bed and goes to mommy???? My brain is screaming.
What is with this woman and evil/absent fathers? I’ll bet little satanically-abused Allison was only in that daycare because Mommy had to work since Daddy was a deadbeat.
(I guess there is a father present in the ‘drugs are evil’ book, but when I saw the illustrations I assumed we were seeing grandparents, making the drug use obviously the result of absent/awful parents.)
Is the author implying that we should feel sorry for book dad with the whole daddy is hurting to?
He´s sad? Well bo fucking ho.